Sheet-settling control



July 26, 1949. F. CASPER SHEET'SETTLING CONTROL Filed July 17', 1947 INVENTOR.

Hank C asp-91' 1211f If Patented July 26, 1949 SHEET-SETTLING CONTROL Frank Casper, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Kenneth H. Kolpien, Cleveland, Ohio Application July 17, 1947, Serial No. 761,596

3 Claims. (Cl. 27160) My invention pertains to a sheet-settling, control by use of a backstop appliance intended. to furnish a guiding and alining conformation, especially for the rear part of a sheet of paper being delivered thereover to thetransfer table of a vertical-type printing press, along the rear edge of which transfer board one or more of my backstops of improved design are fixedly or detachably and adjustably mounted.

Long experience (over four decades) in the printing industry brought mefamiliarity with the tendency occasionally of some sheet, due to unevenness in the size of the pre-cut sheets, to become disalined during passagefrom the top of a stack of sheets to the transfer board which has a compound movement imparted thereto. One of the earliest attempts at correction was the provision of upstanding tacks along the rear of a wooden transfer table. Currently, there is being marketed an attachment tothe rear of the transfer board which consists of a member provided with a pair of laterally spaced and right-angular and forwardly projecting smooth. flanges occupying the same horizontal plane and underneath which the rear edge of each sheet is intended to slip to become prevented from upward displacement. However, that intention is not invariably realized in practice because such flanges do not reliably cause an upwardly curled rear edge of a sheet to slip underneath the flanges to become held therebelow. Besides my observation of earlier accessory devices, for a like purpose, on presses in use, I have investigated patents of class 271, sub-class 60 without alteration of my conviction that my origination is superior and in consequence of demonstrated advantages is worthy as thesubject matter of a patent contract.

Accordingly, the object of my invention is to provide an appliance serving to correct a nonuniform pick-off of the uppermost sheet from the stack, also, automatically (with the aid of gravity and an attendant air current) to correct forcurling or buckling of the rear part of a sheet and to realine any which may have its rear edge oblique and consequently with a section thereof unrestrained during its transfer preparatory to receiving its inked impression.

Whilethe form hitherto employed (Figures 1 to 3) comprised a pair of adjustably attachable backstops, each about one and one-half inches 1 wide, which have been learned to be adequate when spaced apart laterally several inches (four or more) measured middle to middle, such dimensions may be varied to suit or to be most effective for the size of the sheets to be drawn thereover.

We may conclude to have them become afixed or even integral, upstanding part of the rear edge of the transfer board.

The now preferred design of the forward face of each backstop establishes it to form an angle of about eighty degrees from the horizontal, meas ured between such forward face and its rearwardly extending bottom; and to have it comprise a plurality (five being illustrated) of zig-zag sections between a vertical, lower section and an upper section which predeterminedly recedes in a downward direction from its upper, forward edge. Longer use may cause adoption of some modification in the corrugated interception surface. w

It is therefore to be realized that the scope of my invention comprehends many equivalent constructions and that the graphical disclosures together with the following specific descriptions are merely exemplifications of features of design or of other feasible mechanical embodiments and arrangements within the scope of the'granted claims.

Adverting to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective (broken) View of the parts of a vertical-type printing press essential to an understanding of coaction therewith of backstops embodying the principles of my inven-' tion. t

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a plate adjustably carried by the transfer board, the said plate in turn adjustably carrying a pair of backstops embodying my invention. 1

Figure 3 is a still further enlarged end view of one backstop and its mounting.

Figure 4 is a rear elevationof Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a modification in respect to two features.

Because vertical-type presses are now well known to printers, the parts and mechanisms which border three sides of the transfer board have been illustrated as a broken view in Figure 1, but the followingdescription need identify only a few of the cooperating parts to evidence their relative locations in aid of an understanding of the improving function exercised by my originated structure.

A'chase frame I on which a type-carrier and cylinder (not shown) reciprocate periodically in opposit directions so that the latter rolls against the former. A stack of sheets to be printed is indicated at 2 and extending diagonally therebelow is the conventionally swingable sheet delivery mechanism 3 for drawing one sheet at a time across the transfer table 4 and in a direction toward the printing couple. The rear part of thetransfer board 4 adjustably carries, as hitherto, a plate 5 having the common slotparallel with the direction of travel of the sheets thereover and with which slot a set screw (not shown) cooperates for fixing the plate in the desired position of adjustment.

In laterally spaced relationship, as exemplified, are a pair bf upstanding flanges 'fi along the rear of the plate '5. On each of the flanges 6 there is shown to be mounted one of my back-..

stops l4 featuring my concept by comprising the lower, vertical section area [5, the upper section area I 6 and fewer and finer intermediary section area I! which simulate saw teeth in design.

In operation, after a sheet has been drawn across the backstops on the transfer table preparatory to the desirable .settlingupon the latter, its rear edge, gwhether "warpedor oblique to its side edges or even slightly curled, will readily sink along the components I 2 of the forward faces stops of advantageously unique design, comprising; a member I provided with a channel 8 open below and closed above which is adapted to straddle and to be loosely occupied by one of the I flanges 6 preparatory to being fixed in a selected position by a set screw 9, as appears to view in all of Figures 2, to 4 inclusive.

Consideration of the enlargement of Figure '3 is invited for observation of the zig-zag conforrnation ei the fprwardface or each backstop viewed as a cross-section or parallel to the direction of travel of a sheet thereoverand which forward faces are to guide and to reposition the released sheets. The mean obliquity of each ie'rward face is such as to form an acute angle of about eightl'y degrees, measured reazrwardly to the-plane of'the transfer board. The z'ig-zag or step-like face comprises a lowermost and substantially vertical section area i 9, then progressmg upwardly further comprises five meeting section areas ll of alternately different obliquity front corner it may slip below the section area [2 and thereafter be provisionally or initially restrained thereby from any upward movement.

While settling further, the rear edge or rearpor tion of the sheet slips successively over the three lower apexes and finally along the vertical section area H3. Y

of the backstops and any tendency of a sheets rear .edge to rise will be frictionally resisted.

, gravity will tend to effect a leveling of opposite in operation, "the sheet delivery 3 lifts a sheet from the stack-'2, draws it over the transfer board 4. and deposits it thereon while the edge of the board which isiimthest-from the printing couple is lower the bcardedge which is nearest to the printing couple "which are movable in the chase frame I. The trailing edge of the sheet settles over the here featured forwardly present-ed face of the backstop! without curling or buckling and in substantial alinement with the section area H1. Thereafter, the board 4: descends and simultaneously becomes reverse tilted to the position which it appears in Figure- 1, preparatory to permitting each sheet to slide ofi t0= ward the conventipnal grippers of one part of the printing couple. 1

The double modification of Figure 5 consists, first. in havin a transfer board [3 integrallycarry along its rear one or more of alined back- Thereafter, the rear part of each sheet continues its '.slow,,.wave-like settling over the gentle slope components H and in sodoing the action of lateral edges and incidentally cause the sheet slightly to turn during'its deposition along the steeply inclined forward faces so as to bring the rear edgee'f any unevenlycut sheet more nearly into parallelism with the mean plane of the forward faceseof the two or more backstops. Finally,-the vertical-components l ll will all-ow unimpeded, last-stage deposition so that the rear edge of the sheet is in abutment with the component surfaces ill. Impoi tant'itisthat the rear edge of the sheet, after passage ever the tops of the backstops, immediately slips rear-weirdly past the tops of the slope components It and thereafter is continuously restrained from any relative rise during the bodily descent of ilheienti're sheet.

1 claim: r I 1. In a sheetesettling control for a printing press of the vertical type to comprise a printing couple, a sheet stadk support, thcrebetween a transfer board adapted-to tilt to reversed ohliquity from horizontal while being bodily raised and lowered and sheet conveying means both toand from said board; an upstanding backstop structure along the rear horder of the transfer board, theforwardly directed face of said bacl-' stop simulating astep-like formation and in its entirety receding upwardly from :a plane normal at its forward litre of intersection with the board as well as over,

2. appliance asinjclaim 1, there being a pinrality of 'upstandingflanges carried by the board and arranged crosswise of the path of sheet travel and: backstops adjustably connected with said flanges respectively.

3. A'c'ontrol as'in claim 1, the zig-zag face comprising a, lowermost-sectional area which is substantially normal to the board and an uppermost sectional area 'which'recedes from its up per edge. 1

- FRANK CA SPER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file'of this patent: v v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,395,207 Robi'nsonet al. Oct. 25, 1921 1,505,349 Johnson et a]. Aug. 19, 1924 1,900,064 Maarsen Mar. '7, 1933 2,060,331 Matthews Nov. 10, 1936 2,274,713

Kus'hera "-1 Mar. 3, 1942 during cnnyeyance of .a sheet there 

